The present invention concerns a foodstuff conveyor apparatus, in particular for meat or pasta products, comprising a foodstuff inlet, a foodstuff outlet, a conveyor chamber arranged between the inlet and the outlet, and a conveyor screw extending in the conveyor chamber.
Conveyor apparatuses of the above-mentioned kind are used for automated production and processing of pasty foodstuffs such as sausage meat, dough, or pasta. Hereinafter the term ‘product’ is also used synonymously for foodstuff. In the sector of the foodstuffs industry, there is on the one hand a high level of cost pressure, while on the other hand the demands on product quality are high. When conveying and processing pasty foodstuffs, the presence of gases that occur in the form of gas bubbles in the product flow assumes a great influence on the appearance of the product, and on the processing quality. Processing businesses and manufacturers of apparatuses for conveying foodstuffs are increasingly endeavouring to afford a high product quality with an appearance that is as good as possible.
In this respect, great significance is attributed to degassing. That is to say, the elimination of large gas bubbles from the product flow. Known apparatuses and methods use nozzles for reducing the size of gas bubbles in the product flow, the nozzles being introduced into the product flow downstream of conveyor apparatuses. By means of a reduction in the cross-section of the product flow being conveyed, these nozzles lead to a compacting effect whereby the flow speed rises downstream of the nozzle, and the gas bubbles in the product flow are torn open. Although the procedure for eliminating in particular large gas bubbles in such apparatuses and methods generally operates satisfactorily, the product is subjected to high shearing forces in the nozzle. These large shearing forces lead to product stressing, which is considered to be a disadvantage. In addition, large and/or shearing-sensitive constituents that are to be added cannot be conveyed through a nozzle, or the nozzle diameter has to be adapted to the constituent size, which influences optimum functioning of the nozzle.
With this background in mind, the object of the present invention is to provide a foodstuff conveyor apparatus that makes it possible to eliminate large gas bubbles in the foodstuff being conveyed, with a lower level of product stressing.